Fire Emblem: The Journal
by Mersiar
Summary: After a soldier in Chrom's army is near-fatally injured in battle, his long-time friend and partner decides to read his journal while at his bedside. One-shot featuring OCs based off SpotPass characters.


A.N: This pairing as well as two others, one of them involving the inspiration for the character Ysaie, are the reasons I wish SpotPass characters could have Support Conversations and S-rank, at least with each other.

There's a long history between the Avatars who inspired Hayden and Deran, the main characters of this story. I recruited them both around the same time and both came to my team as Grandmasters. Since Morgan and my Avatar were both Grandmasters already, I reclassed them. The inspiration for Deran became a Myrmidon and the inspiration for Hayden became a Thief. Because they were now both Level 1 base classes, I decided to level them together. They were an amazing team even as their base classes and even more so when I promoted them to a Swordmaster and Assassin, respectively. They became one of my best and most reliable teams. It's not to say they weren't any good individually, but they were unmatched when they were together. Eventually, for whatever reason, I paired the two up in the Hubba Tester. Now I know that it changes every time, but that first time the results came up hearts from both sides. It was then that this idea began to form in my mind.

If you like this and want to see more, please don't be afraid to Favorite this and leave a review. Who knows? If I get enough requests, maybe I'll make another story about the couple involving the inspiration for Ysaie. In any case, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

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Heavy blood loss. Serious head trauma. Several minor bruises and cuts... As the medic rattled off the list of Deran's injuries, Hayden had to force herself to remain stoic. It was all she could do to keep from crying. She knew Deran had gotten many of them in her place. His willingness to put himself in harm's way for her had saved her life many times. It was also the reason he was currently unconscious and on the verge of dying. The medic left the two alone to tend to other patients. Hayden sat in a chair at Deran's bedside and looked at him. "You stupid idiot..." Hayden whispered. "I should be the one lying on that bed, not you."

The two of them had been best friends since childhood. They even enlisted in the Ylissean army together. While Deran's unmatched talent with swords led him to become a Swordmaster, Hayden had drifted more towards the style of an Assassin, winding up as one of the best archers in Ylisse. And when Chrom arrived to recruit Deran into the Shepherds, he had refused to go unless Hayden came with him. It turns out that was a wise decision; the pair had risen to become one of the best two-person teams in the entire force. The deadly duo enhanced the other's strengths and covered for their weaknesses flawlessly. And now he was most likely going to die.

Tears started to well up in Hayden's eyes, but she held them back. She couldn't imagine Deran dying and leaving her alone. She didn't want to imagine it. It would be like losing a brother. Or something more... Hayden caught herself before she could continue that line of thought. She couldn't possibly have feelings for him... Could she?

Footsteps approached their room. Hayden looked up to see Ysaie, a Bow Knight and mutual friend of both Deran and Hayden. "Hey Ysa..." "How's Deran?" The older woman asked. "The medic said he's stable for now, but... For all we know, he could very well be dying." Hayden wiped her tears away. Ysaie walked over to her and put her hand on the smaller girl's shoulder. "Not going to happen. We both know that he'll fight tooth and nail to get back to us. To you." Hayden looked up at her. "W-what do you mean, 'to me'?" The blue-haired woman's eyes widened. "He never told you?" "Never told me what?" Ysaie didn't reply. "What are you not telling me, Ysa?!" Hayden shouted. The Bow Knight calmly fished a small, brown book out of her bag and held it out for Hayden to take. She quickly recognized it as one of Deran's journals. "Where did you get this?" Hayden took it from Ysaie. "He gave it to me, under the condition that I give it to you in case..." Ysaie glanced over at Deran. "In case something like this happened to him." Hayden started to open the book, but the Knight stopped her. "It's best that you read it alone." Ysaie turns to leave, but stops in the doorway. "And Hayden?" Hayden looked up from the journal. "Don't be afraid to cry." With that, Ysaie walked out and closed the door before Hayden could ask what the hell she meant.

The pink-haired Assassin sighed and opened Deran's journal. To her surprise, it began with a letter to her.

_Hayden,_

_If you're reading this, that means I'm either dead or dying. Or at least that's when you're supposed to receive this. Who knows if Ysaie actually kept her word on that front. Anyway, if the worst actually has happened to me and I am on my way out, I want you to know that I'll always watch over you. When you think of me, don't think of the fact that I'm gone. Think of all the fun times we had. Both as children and adults. Like the time we got our first wooden swords. Or the time you tried to shoot an apple off my head with a practice bow and training arrows. Or, skipping a few years, the time you succeeded in piercing an apple on my head with a real bow, real arrows, and blindfolded. Hell, the apple didn't even fall off my head it was such a precise shot!_

Hayden couldn't help but smile. She remembered each of those fondly. She continued reading.

_Not only were you my first and best friend, but over time, you became like a sister to me. The sister I never had. When we enlisted in the Ylissean army, I was half-tempted to write your name in the "Family" section of the form. I didn't do it, but I came damn close to doing it!_

Hayden chuckled. She knew how he felt. She had nearly done the exact same thing for him.

_I'm getting off-topic. Par for the course when it comes to me, right? Anyway, I know that, when we were kids, we promised to never keep secrets from each other and to always be together as friends. But I actually broke the first promise a long time ago and, even if I miraculously live (if I'm not dead already), I'll still be breaking the second promise. Both for the same reason._

Hayden turned the page to continue reading. On that page were only four words, but those four words stunned her all the same.

_I love you, Hayden._

Deran continued on the adjacent page.

_I love you and I have for the longest time. And I'm talking about the deep, romantic love. I wish I could have told you sooner, but I was worried you didn't feel the same way about me. If I told you, at best, it would have made our friendship a lot more awkward. At worst, it would have ruined it entirely. And I didn't want either. You're more than a friend to me, Hayden. If you don't or didn't (depending on what state I'm in as you're reading this) feel the same way about me, that's fine. But I've wanted you to know the truth about my feelings for you for a long time. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. If I'm dead as you're reading this, then remember that you'll never be alone. You'll always have me by your side. Be it physically or spiritually._

_Goodbye, Hayden_

_Daren_

With that, the tears Hayden had been trying to contain broke free. She didn't try to stop. He loved her. And she loved him. "You idiot... You stupid, stupid idiot..." Suddenly, she felt something wiping her cheek. She blinked away the tears in her eyes to see Daren, awake and grinning like a fool, wiping her cheek with the back of his hand. "I take it Ysaie kept her word, judging by the journal." He chuckled. Hayden barely resisted the urge to wrap him in a tight hug that probably would have added "broken spine" to his already extensive list of injuries. "D-Daren..." "In the flesh." The smile never left his face. Leave it to Daren to be in a good mood despite his severe injuries. "Y-you're..." "Alive? Yup." Daren leaned towards her. "And for the record, everything in that journal is true. I really do love you, Hayden." Hayden was quiet. "What about you, Hayden? Do you love me?" His eyes glistened with genuine love. She looked him straight in those eyes for her response. "Yes, Deran. I do. I love you too." His smile became so wide Hayden thought it would pop off his face. "Really?" She nodded. "That's great!" He tried to lean in closer to her, but his injuries prevented it. Hayden knew what he was going to do. She leaned in to him and kissed him on the lips.

"I love you, Deran."

"I love you too, Hayden."


End file.
